Dan Antion

One-Liner Wednesday – Maddie’s Request

Maddie and I usually walk on Saturday and Sunday. She often walks with the Editor during the week, but then they fall into their normal routine. I should add that their normal routine doesn’t include me barging in, slamming opening and closing doors, toggling lights, responding to sounds on my phone or yelling for asking the Editor to come out to the garage and look at something. Their normal routine is busy, but quiet.

By the end of a normal weekend, Maddie is tired. She often sleeps quite a bit on Monday. But, not this Monday. This was a holiday and since I had taken Thursday and Friday off, it was the fifth day in a row that I was home. Sunday was a washout, but Labor Day came with the request (Maddie’s) and promise of a walk.

I’m not sure Maddie was really up for it. Midway around the park, she paused, looked up at me and seemed to say:

“Can we go home now?”

I let her lead from that point forward, and she took the shortcut through one parking lot and avoided crossing the street to the other park. Once home, she staked out the couch in the family room and settled in for a long nap.

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. You can follow this link to see the one-liners from the other participants. The gallery includes some pictures from our various walks and (of course) some of Maddie. Click any photo to start a show and read the captions.

“It’s raining, can I just sit here for a while?”
Even Chippy has moved to higher ground. On top of the gutter instead of under it.
“Can we go home?”
The morning after the storm.
The entrance to Maddie’s park. We had a lot of rain the day before.
This was a long foul ball. After trying to go artistic, I tossed it back on the field.
Monkey bars and swings – the sights of summer.
“Can I go now?” “No! Someone said people don’t like seeing just one crow.”
Maddie’s park is well within the landing path of BDL.
I keep trying to get the photo right.
“Before you guys go for your walk, can you tell the lady that we’re hungry?”
“The nice lady said I could have this.”
After our walk, Maddie invited me to share the couch with her. I make a good pillow.
“Can I just sleep here for a while?”
“Oh yeah, this will do fine.”
“Is that a bunny? If I wasn’t so tired, I’d go investigate.”
During the thunderstorms, Maddie likes to be wrapped in her Thundershirt.

66 comments

    • Thanks Judy. Any week that doesn’t include a Monday in the office is a good week. I might stress Maddie out a bit more and take Friday off, too!

      She actually slept in her Tundershirt last night. She was very happy having it on. As you said, whatever works.

      I hope your week is going well.

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  2. That’s odd. I said the same exact thing at work yesterday. Just before lunch. I would have gladly done a Maddie and gone home to the couch, but you know…work…

    Nice photos, Dan. Please tell Maddie and the other two rascals that they are good kids and give them all a pet for me. And tell the editor to hurry up with the squirrel food!

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    • Ha! I’m sorry no one let you take a shortcut through the parking lot and head home early. Dogs just seem to have a better idea about how to approach life…”I’m tired, therefore I’ll sleep.” It seems so simple.

      Squirrels, birds, chipmunks, cats and dog have all been fed. The big noisy human, well, we’ll get to him at some point.

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    • Thanks Ruth. I just checked out your blog. I grew up in Pittsburgh, and we’ve stayed on Neville Island numerous times while visiting. I think I’ll be following.

      I hope you like it here. It is kind of random. I hope I can hold your interest.

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    • Thanks Lois. The squirrels are really getting bold, lately. One in the driveway kept getting closer and closer. My wife tries to make sure they don’t become dependent, but they know she’s a soft-touch.

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  7. I love the photo of Maddie in her thundershirt squished between the back of the couch and you. Funny how cats don’t seem to have the same reaction to thunder that dogs do. Theo sat with me on the front step and watched the storm with me.

    Hope you enjoyed your 5 day weekend – in spite of the rain.

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    • It was a great weekend, Joanne, thanks. We refer to me as ThunderDad when there’s a storm. She hunkers down behind me, at least for a while. It’s weird, it only seems to be certain storms that bother her. We’ve been caught in the rain while walking, and she doesn’t mind. But some days, she’s antsy in the house, hours before the storm appears. I guess they can sense it.

      Yeah, the cats don’t seem to mind.

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    • I do get that look sometimes. Especially when we are leaving for our walk and the squirrels stop us. They were standing in the driveway one day this weekend. One got within 4-5 feet. I yelled “she is a dog!” because I was worried the dumb thing would run under Maddie.

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    • Thanks Frank – She knows her walk and her park. If I tell her “let’s do a short walk” she bypasses the park entrance and we loop thought the apartments for the elderly. Sometimes, I tell her “short walk” and she leans into my thigh and pushes me into the entrance, as if to say “no, long walk.”

      We also know when she wants to go outside and sit.

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  11. LOL! Maddie’s Thundershirt! Love it!! Great images of past walks, and critters.

    I also loved your caption, “This was a long foul ball. After trying to go artistic, I tossed it back.” :)

    It sounds like you have a pretty great 5 days at home.

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    • Thanks John. Two of the squirrels are referred to as the orphan babies. Their mother was hit by a car in front of our house, My wife discovered them standing near their mom’s body and she ‘adopted’ them. Those two have been known to stand up against the glass of the storm door. That started the feeding frenzy that now defines our front yard. We don’t name them ‘cuz there’s too many! Chippy got a name because a) he’s too cute and b) chipmunks usually aren’t brave/friendly enough to stick around when humans come out.

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    • Perfectly ‘propriate. I think Maddie was pretty happy to see me leave for work yesterday. She didn’t even want to come out of her crate. She got wrapped in the thundershirt last night in a pretty nasty storm, and she just wanted to stay wrapped up.

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  16. Great post, Dan. Squirrel butt and all. I like the shot of the sprinkler spray. Maddie does look like she was feeling lazy. I’d like to be able to follow her example today. But I’m taking leave the rest of the week, so I’ll try not to complain. Have a wonder-filled Wednesday.

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  17. Much like us Dan I suspect … a sudden input of extra exercise would make us want to put our feet up – good for Maddie is what I say … just enjoy your walks with her – cheers Hilary

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  18. I was in a rush for a doctor’s appointment this morning, so didn’t actually finish. I had to come back and read my favorite Photo quotes.
    Must be something in the air, the other animals look as lethargic as Maddie, eh?

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  22. Maddie is really so cool. Love her face when she looks up with her expressive eyes. The thundershirt is really cool too. I don’t know if they make them for cats, but my daughter tells me that hers are frightened when there is a thunder storm. Which was big last night in Baltimore. Pets feel these storms sooner than us and most are scared.

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  23. The critters are very cute and bushy tailed, enjoyed Maddie a lot, Chippy and Nutty, too. That left top little bird seemed like he or she was looking right at the camera! Wonder what a bird says while posing for the camera? Maybe, “Birdseed!” or “berries, please!” That would be like saying “cheese!” Hope you didn’t stress too much and chose a Friday off, too.
    Not to complain but to accentuate differences, I have extra hours to make up for our day off, like today was 7 am till 6:15 pm. Some friends were staying to clean up their areas till 6:30 but I just took off and clocked out! 😃

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  24. Dan, love the photos of Maddie! Her sleek red coat is so beautiful. All the other critters are cute! Funny, how dogs have a mind of their own sometimes. Our Lasa Apso Sammy steers us to streets he wants to walk on.He gets bored with the same route. Charley, our sweet Shih Tzu, wags his tail, smiles and goes anywhere. Such different characteristics. Have a great rest of the week! Christine

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